By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

Jack Norris, RD, a vegan dietitian and author, recently contacted me to ask if there have been any studies of the amount of vitamin A in breast milk from vegan women. There are no published reports of studies of the vitamin A content of vegan breast milk. Although vitamin A is only found in nature in animal products, plants contain precursors of vitamin A including beta-carotene, alpha-carotene, and beta-cryptoxanthin. Humans are able to convert these carotenoids into active vitamin A.

Breastfed babies could get the essential nutrient in several ways:

1. Their mothers eat foods (and/or take supplements) containing precursors of vitamin A. The mothers’ bodies convert these precursors into vitamin A and this vitamin A (possibly along with vitamin A from the mothers’ stores) goes into breast milk.
2. Their mothers eat foods (and/or take supplements) containing vitamin A and this dietary/supplemental vitamin A (possibly along with vitamin A from the mothers’ stores) appears in the milk.
3. Their mothers eat foods containing precursors of vitamin A. These vitamin A precursors appear in the milk and the infants make vitamin A from these precursors.

The first scenario clearly takes place and is relevant for vegans. Lactating women who are given foods high in beta-carotene, a precursor of vitamin A, have more vitamin A in their breast milk (1,2). If a breastfeeding woman has generous amounts of beta-carotene in her diet, it is likely that her baby will have adequate vitamin A status (3). This is the most likely way that breastfed infants of vegan women get adequate vitamin A.

The second scenario is not really an option for vegans, at least in terms of food sources of vitamin A. Vitamin A is only naturally found in foods derived from animals. Supplemental vitamin A may be synthetic or derived from animals (4). Vegan supplements containing a mix of vitamin A and vitamin A precursors are available.

The third scenario seems possible but we don’t know for sure that it takes place. The first step – vitamin A precursors appear in milk – definitely happens (1, 2, 5) but we don’t know for certain that babies are able to make vitamin A from precursors of vitamin A (6). It doesn’t really matter since mothers are clearly able to make vitamin A from plant precursors.

The bottom line – Vegan women who are breastfeeding should make sure that their diet includes good sources of precursors of vitamin A. These are foods rich in beta-carotene such as winter squash, carrots, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, cantaloupe, and green leafy vegetables. Dietary fat is needed to promote beta-carotene absorption so it is important that lactating women not overly limit dietary fat.

References:
1. Khan NC, West CE, de Pee S, Bosch D, Phuong HD, Hulshof PJ, Khoi HH, Verhoef H, Hautvast JG. The contribution of plant foods to the vitamin A supply of lactating women in Vietnam: a randomized controlled trial. Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Apr;85(4):1112-20.
2. Haskell MJ. The challenge to reach nutritional adequacy for vitamin A: Beta-carotene bioavailability and conversion – evidence in humans. Am J Clin Nutr. 2012;96(suppl):1193S-203S.
3. Canfield LM, Taren DL, Kaminsky RG, Mahal Z. Short-term beta-carotene supplementation of lactating mothers consuming diets low in vitamin A. J Nutr Biochem. 1999 Sep;10(9):532-8.
4. Yacoubou J. Vegetarian Journal’s Guide to Food Ingredients. http://www.vrg.org/ingredients/index.php#vitamin_a
5. Canfield LM, Guiliano AM, Neilson EM, Blashill BM, Graver EJ, Yap HH. Kinetics of the response of milk and serum β-carotene to daily β-carotene supplementation in healthy, lactating women. Am J Clin Nutr 1998;67:276–83.
6. Institute of Medicine, Food and Nutrition Board. Dietary Reference Intakes for Vitamin A, Vitamin K, Arsenic, Boron, Chromium, Copper, Iodine, Iron, Manganese, Molybdenum, Nickel, Silicon, Vanadium, and Zinc. Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 2001.

Even if you don’t live in New Jersey, you probably know that Hurricane Sandy did a lot of damage to the Jersey shore last year. The area is slowly recovering and businesses (especially those that are veggie or veg-friendly) really need your support. Below is a list of some vegetarian/vegan restaurants on the Jersey Shore, as well as some non-vegetarian restaurants offering many vegan options.

Asbury Park
Twisted Tree Café
609 Cookman Ave., Asbury Park, NJ 07712
(732) 775-2633
Coffeehouse/café. If you’re near the New Jersey shore, then you must pay a visit to the Twisted Tree Café! Menu items include the Tofu Meatball Wrap, Soy Chicken Salad Sandwich, and Focaccia Melt. They have homemade baked goods such as vegan cookies, brownies, and muffins; enjoy your dessert with a cup of coffee that includes your choice of soy, rice, almond, oat, hazelnut, or hemp milk. The Twisted Tree Café strongly supports the arts in their community. They feature the works of local photographers and artists on their walls and local musicians play live music on weekends. Open Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday for lunch and dinner. Open Friday and Saturday for lunch and dinner through late night. Closed Monday and Tuesday. Limited service, vegan options, take-out, smoothies, soymilk, espresso, VISA/MC, $-$$.

In Asbury Park, also see: http://www.crustandcrumble.com/
This pizza place offers vegan pizza and vegan sandwiches and pasta dishes.

Beach Haven
Living on the Veg
4 W. Maryland Ave., Beach Haven, NJ 08008
(609) 492-4066
Vegetarian/deli/juice bar. Living on the Veg offers sandwiches, wraps, salads, and more. Located on Long Beach Island, they are open from March through November. Cash only. Open Monday for lunch. Open Tuesday through Sunday for lunch and dinner. Limited service, vegan options, take-out, catering, fresh juices, smoothies, $.

Belmar
Kaya’s Kitchen
1000 Main St., Belmar, NJ 07719
(732) 280-1141
Vegetarian/international/organic. This mostly vegan restaurant features an international menu with choices like French onion soup, Oriental sesame salad, tacos, and falafel. If you’re in the mood for some good ol’ American food, try the vegetarian meatloaf with mashed potatoes and vegan gravy. There are also blackboard specials every night that include vegan desserts. Kaya’s is located at the corner of 10th & Main. Open daily for lunch and dinner. Full service, vegan options, take-out, catering, fresh juices, smoothies, special beverages, BYOB, VISA/MC/AMEX/DISC, $$-$$$.

Ocean City
Bashful Banana Bakery & Café
944 Boardwalk, Ocean City, NJ 08226
(609) 398-9677
Café/bakery. Bashful Banana is a very veg-friendly café and bakery, offering non-dairy and vegan options. Their signature item is the Banana Whip, their version of a frozen custard, made only with bananas! Enjoy outdoor dining within walking distance of the beach. Bashful Banana is located on the OC Boardwalk between 9th and 10th Sts. To find them, turn away from the ocean and onto Ocean Colony Walk, a private boardwalk; they are across from The Sindia. Open daily for three meals from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Open weekends in April, May, September and October. Full service, vegan options, take-out, catering, fresh juices, smoothies, espresso/cappuccino, VISA/MC, $-$$.

Good Karma Café
17 E. Front St., Red Bank, NJ 07701
(732) 450-8344
Vegan/organic café/juice bar. Good Karma Café is completely vegan with many raw foods items. They use organic and local ingredients as much as possible. Enjoy Smokey Tofu Wrap, Tempeh Reuben, Cajun Seitan, Pineapple Mango Tempeh, Sweet Chili Tofu, or Chickpea of the Sea. Wheat and gluten-free items are noted. They also have a juice bar and bakery. Open Monday through Saturday for lunch and dinner. Closed Sunday. Full service, take-out, delivery, catering, fresh juices, smoothies, soymilk, VISA/MC, $.

The fifth edition of Simply Vegan—Quick Vegetarian Meals has just been released! Co-author Reed Mangels, PhD, RD, has completely updated the nutrition section, with information about Protein, Fat, Calcium, Iron, Vitamin B-12, Sources of Omega-3 Fats, Weight Loss, and more. New to the book is a full color My Vegan Plate.

Simply Vegan is more than a cookbook. It is a guide to a non-violent, environmentally sound, humane-lifestyle. Authors Debra Wasserman and Reed Mangels make vegan living easy with 160 quick vegetarian recipes, an easy-to-understand and complete vegan nutrition section, meal plans, and a guide to Vegan Shopping online and by mail. Also valuable is a list of the top 15 recipes for calcium, vitamin C, and iron, plus an up-to-date chapter on pregnancy, infants, and vegan children.

When Dr. Mangels and Ms. Wasserman first wrote Simply Vegan, the word vegan was mostly unknown. Today, according to The Vegetarian Resource Group polls, about 25% of vegetarians in the USA are vegan.

Reed Mangels completed her Ph.D. in Nutrition at the University of Maryland. She has worked as a dietitian in hospitals and in the community, and is a past chair of The American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Vegetarian Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group. She has raised two vegan children.

Debra Wasserman earned an M.A. in International Relations from Georgetown University. She is managing editor of Vegetarian Journal and author of Meatless Meals for Working People and The Lowfat Jewish Vegetarian Cookbook. She has appeared on Good Morning America, CNN, and the Discovery Channel. Over 100,000 copies of the classic Simply Vegan are now in print.

To order Simply Vegan visit our online catalog. You can also send $16 to The Vegetarian Resource Group, P.O. Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203, or call (410) 366-8343 9 AM to 5 PM EST, Monday to Friday, to order by phone.

The following is from an FDA press release:

Today, Lightlife Foods in cooperation with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is voluntarily recalling a limited number of packages of its Lightlife Farmer’s Market Veggie Burgers that may contain an undeclared allergen, milk. Certain packages of the Farmer’s Market Veggie Burgers may have inadvertently been filled with Lightlife Kick’n Black Bean Burgers, which contain an allergen, milk. The milk allergen is not declared on the Farmer’s Market Veggie Burger product label. This product was shipped to food stores and distributors nationwide.

For more information, see the full press release here: http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm354453.htm.

You may find that at your school there are no existing clubs relating to your interests, and chances are you’re not alone! Creating a club at your school is an awesome way to spread awareness of the issues vegan and vegetarian lifestyles aim to address. It’s also a fantastic way to meet like-minded people at your school that care about the same matters you do. Having a club can also be a hefty responsibility and it helps to talk to your friends about the idea and try to start a club together.

The rules and criteria for starting a club vary from school to school. In the case of my high school, I met with the activities coordinator and had to fill out an application. The process was very easy at my school and we only needed to keep meeting minutes, have a mission statement, and have a small base of interested students.

Once you have a club you have to spread the word about it and build up a good reputation so that people will want to join. You may be surprised by how many like-minded people there are at your school. Whether your club has five members or fifteen, you want to make sure that students know it exists. More members is often better than fewer because a variety of people makes the club more interesting if everyone is bringing their own experiences and perspectives. Having more members also helps to generate more awareness of the issues and of the club. It’s also important to have a consistent meeting time and location for potential members to find and join your club. The earlier on in your high school career that you start a club the better known it will be and the more time you’ll have to achieve the goals of the club before you graduate.

Reaching out to the student body can be a lot of fun; be creative! Creating a Facebook page for your club might help recruit people and spread awareness about the issues your club focuses on. Because my club focused on the animal rights aspects of veganism, our Facebook page had info and photo albums for different issues including the circus, fur, dairy, animal testing, etc. On your Facebook page you can share information with members, contact them easily and advertise events you’re doing. A more direct way to recruit people is tabling. Some schools don’t allow it, but often if you ask you may be able to set up a small table in the hallway, student lounge, or cafeteria during lunchtime. On your table you can display free fliers, stickers and information about the vegan and vegetarian cause. You may even be allowed to put out free vegan food for students to try. I suggest foods like Tofutti Cuties, soymilk, Tofurky sausages, and vegan cookies, like Uncle Eddie’s. When I tabled in school I often had a plate of Tofurky sausages slices with toothpicks in them for students to eat. Food will also attract people to your table, making them more likely to ask about your club. You can get fliers from Action for Animals, VRG, PETA, Mercy for Animals, and other pro-vegan advocacy organizations. If money is a problem you can get grants to buy outreach materials from Vegfund.org. Last but not least, you can spread the word with good old fashion posters! At my school we were allowed to advertise by making posters (I encourage using one-sided reused paper in order to save trees) and putting them on the walls in the hallways.

Your club can just be a get-together discussion and hang-out group or you can start campaigns at your school. My club in high school was called Students for Animal Rights. I started in freshman year and I spent the first few meetings showing Power Point presentations to the new members about animal rights and why it is an important issue. If your club is about the environment or health of vegan living, talk to your members about what you know about the aspects you care about. In Student for Animals Rights we had discussions and also many campaigns. Some campaigns we had included; educating fellow students about dissection alternatives and why they shouldn’t participate in the “lesson” and getting the school cafeteria to offer soymilk as a beverage option.

People are likely to join your club if it is interesting and active. You can keep your club dynamic and lively by having guest speakers, free food, potlucks, movie screenings, letter writing, fundraisers, volunteer days, and any other activities you can think of. At Students for Animal Rights we had Dave Bemel from Action for Animals and Jennifer Hillman from the Humane Society of the United States come and give separate speeches on how we can help animals and about being vegan. We also had movie screenings for films like Fowl Play and Forks Over Knives.

One of my favorite activities for clubs to do is letter writing. It’s a simple yet effective way to get students involved and taking action. To do letter writing you and your club members choose an issue you all care about and you hand-write letters to send to whomever is in charge of solving it. For example, we wrote to Nordstrom asking them to stop selling fur and also to our head of food services asking her to offer soymilk. A physical hand-written letter is more effective than a typed one or an e-mail. Another fun idea is to take a picture of your club members holding a sign with a message on it to send to the person you’re writing to. Say you were writing to the Prime Minister of Canada, asking him to stop seal clubbing, in addition you could send a photo of your club holding a “STOP SEAL CLUBBING” sign.

Establishing a club is generally a simple process and once you have a club started you can achieve so much in terms of creating community and spreading awareness about issues related to vegan and vegetarianism. Being a part of a club is a very valuable experience in school and you can even put it on your resume. I would highly recommend looking into starting your own club in the near future.

For other club ideas see http://www.vrg.org/teen/

Written by Kitty Jones while doing an internship at VRG. Kitty is a Vegetarian Resource Group college scholarship winner. For information on applying for future scholarships, see https://www.vrg.org/student/scholar.htm

Chipotle will bring the popular vegetarian option to Southern California on Monday, June 3.

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Los Angeles, May 16, 2013 – After testing a new vegetarian menu item called “Sofritas” in seven San Francisco Bay Area restaurants, then expanding into all Northern California locations, Chipotle Mexican Grill will launch Sofritas throughout Southern California on June 3, 2013, making the new menu item available in all California restaurants.

Sofritas, shredded tofu braised with chipotle chilies, roasted poblanos, and a blend of aromatic spices, is made with organic, non-GMO tofu from Oakland, Calif. artisan producer, Hodo Soy. Chipotle expects Sofritas to appeal to vegetarian and vegan customers, as well as those looking for an exciting new taste.

“We are changing the way people think about and eat fast food,” said Steve Ells, Chipotle founder, chairman and co-CEO. “Sofritas is a very
different kind of menu item, not just for Chipotle but for any fast food or fast casual restaurant. It was conceived with vegetarians and vegans
in mind, but it’s so delicious that we think it will have crossover appeal as well. It’s been well received in the initial test and Northern
California market, so we’re expanding throughout the state to give more people the opportunity to try it.”

Sofritas is available in burritos, tacos, burrito bowls, and salads and can be combined with other signature ingredients, including white or brown cilantro-lime rice, pinto beans or vegetarian black beans, house-made salsas and guacamole, and cheese or sour cream.

Last year we reported on Beyond Meat™, a meat analog company founded by Ethan Brown and based in Cumberland, Maryland. According to Beyond Meat, their product will be offered at Tropical Smoothie as a substitute for chicken in salads and sandwiches in 338 locations http://www.onlinepharmacytabs.com across 36 states starting May 21. Beyond Meat Chicken-Free Strips are made with a blend of pea and soy protein. Let us know if you see this product in your local Tropical Smoothie!

Congratulations to Amory Fischer from Virginia, who is our second $5,000 college scholarship recipient for 2013! Amory, who will be majoring in environmental policy, said:

I have destroyed the myth that vegetarians are short, unhealthy, scrawny individuals, who cannot survive without dietary supplements. I have held my own on a soccer team, lifted weights with football players, and stacked hay in the barn and bags of seed in the storehouse alongside the rest of my coworkers. They may be surprised to find out I am a vegetarian, but they no longer think people like me cannot keep up.

As a kindergartener, I would get upset about people eating meat in my presence. I would tell them continually why what they were doing was disgusting and wrong and why I disliked them for it. One could infer then, that I had few people who took me seriously and even few who would hang out with me, especially during lunch. I have learned since that to really get someone to think about the choices they make, one has to first relate to that person…People are willing to listen when they are talked to respectfully…

Vegetarianism is an integral aspect of my world view…In my freshman year of high school, I won second place in the state of Virginia forensics competition with a piece devoted to nonviolence and compassion for all life. When I was fifteen, I won sixth place in the State’s Virginia High School League Forensics Original Oratory Competition with a speech on the topic of vegetarianism…

I joined the Key Club in freshman year of high school…I approached the club sponsor with the idea of a separate Environmental Committee. She agreed to let me try it out – if I would be in charge… (In one project) I have organized thirty of my peers though my position as Key Club Environmental Committee Chair to help set up and take down tents, tables, and chairs for the Charlottesville Vegetarian Festival. We also help run the festival, manning booths for vendors or educators that need a break, passing around petitions, assisting the many food stands with serving customers, and running errands…I will be graduating this year, so in order to continue this tradition of helping with the Vegetarian Festival and other environmental projects, I have made a fourteen page booklet for my successors on the committee to be able to carry the torch. It is filled with detailed descriptions of all the projects we worked on…

One of Amory’s references stated that, “Amory organized Key Club volunteers for the Charlottesville Vegetarian Festivals as well as Charlottesville’s Eco Fair… Without Amory’s support we would have had a difficult time managing the event. However last year’s event was so successful that this year we are doing the event as a zero waste festival. Without Amory and his leadership of the Key Club we would not even consider this additional project.”

Amory related, “A friend of my step-father’s asked me about my dream of going into politics…I responded by saying that my path would be based on whatever doors of opportunity opened. I place my future in the Lord’s hands, and day by day I live by two simple goals: to help those suffering today and preserve the earth for future generations. Vegetarianism is the solution to both those goals.”

The deadline for the next Vegetarian Resource Group Scholarship is February 20, 2014 for high school seniors. Please see http://www.vrg.org/student/scholar.htm

To contribute to VRG scholarships, VRG internships, or to give Vegetarian Journal to scholarship entrants, donate at www.vrg.org/donate
Indicate the projects you want to earmark in the comments.

As spring heats up, we were thinking back on a recipe we really enjoyed at last year’s meeting of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The California Strawberry Commission was sampling this dish:

INGREDIENTS
6 lbs Fresh California strawberries, stemmed and chopped
2 1/4 pounds plum tomatoes, chopped
1 1/2 pounds English cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
9 cloves garlic
3 jalapeño peppers
1 1/2 cups Sherry vinegar
Salt and black pepper as needed.

DIRECTIONS
To make Strawberry Gazpacho, in blender, purée strawberries, tomatoes, cucumbers, garlic, jalapeños and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Yield: 24 cups. They cut the ingredients in 1/3 for 8 cups.

http://www.californiastrawberries.com/recipes_and_ideas/detail/strawberry_gazpacho

Congratulations to Greta Lorenz from California, who is one of our $5,000 college scholarship recipients for 2013! Greta wrote:

Like many, I became a vegan for what I perceive to be moral and ethical reasons. Although my parents, sister, and I have long been a part of a committed spiritual tradition, neither of my parents were vegetarian until I ‘converted’ them several years ago. Subsequently, both became vegan. This was my first experience in promoting ‘kindness on a plate’ and it left an indelible mark that has given me the confidence to promote within a wider sphere, including my middle and high schools. Just before entering high school I was awarded an Environmental Stewardship grant of $1,000 for my research and presentation to the student body on the subject of meat eating and the enormous ecological drain it creates. My presentation included statistics on water and land usage, the grain needs, and methane gas emissions, to name a few. As a result of the award, I was asked by the headmaster to represent my school in the U.S. Green Schools Fellows program. Although I was unable to attend the training program in Virginia for financial reasons, nevertheless, I was honored to be chosen as my school’s representative. The communication that had been established between the principal and myself emboldened me to ask for a meeting in which I presented my idea of showing the documentary “Peaceable Kingdom” (after seeing, which, I became vegan) to the high school. I gave a copy to him, which to his credit he viewed, but ultimately felt it might be too disturbing for some of the students.

I am proud to say that my nickname has been “vegan” all through high school and I wear the mantel seriously … For the last 2 years, I have been an active participant in L.A.’s annual “Veggie” parade, in which I dressed as a carrot.

My involvement in preparing and serving food for homeless shelters consists of first making the food at home. It is always vegetarian … After preparation, I transport the food and then serve it every other Sunday at the Women’s shelter and every Wednesday and/or Thursday afternoon a the H.O.P.E. facility. I have been helping make (meals) and serve at H.O.P.E. for over four years and doing the same at the downtown women’s shelter for the last two years. I am a staunch, but hopefully not too obnoxious vegan and so I always try to make the meals vegan; however, I understand that many of our clients really like dishes made with dairy … I make many dishes with tofu and use tempeh and seitan when I can afford it or get it donated. I make mashed potatoes using Earth Balance and one of my most popular dishes is baked cauliflower with soy cheese. Because I am aware that many of the homeless community really crave ‘comfort food,’ I try to make that as much as possible. Also, it is important that they get sufficient protein so I always make sure that happens. I make a lot of pasta dishes with tofu, tempeh, or seitan, as well as beans and rice burritos. I also make PB&J sandwiches to pass out to anyone who wants to take them for later. What I’ve found interesting over my many years of doing this, is just how many of the people I prepare food for and serve, say that they are already vegetarian! Startling, because when you don’t often know where your next meal will come from, it takes a real commitment to adhere to a vegetarian diet. I am always humbled by that.

I’ve been asked by Mother’s Kitchen to cook and serve (vegetarian of course) food at the Topanga Earth Day celebration. They have an annual
booth there and I’m honored to be asked. I have done the same for them for the last 2 years.

I have spent time in an Ashram in southern India, where my job is to cook and bake for enormous numbers of people. All dishes are vegetarian. The trips to India were initially funded by my parents until 2009, when my father became ill and could no longer work (He passed away in 2012). I baby sat, dog walked, and began working at Starbucks in order to pay for my plane ticket. Having visited an orphanage in Paripally, India, I became aware that the children were sleeping on metal bed frames with no mattresses. On returning to the U.S., I made jewelry and sold it, making $600, which was used to buy mattresses.

I’m thrilled to be accepted to UCLA. In addition to being an amazing university, they have a very active club called Bruins for Animals that promotes among other causes, Veganism and cruelty-free farming. I’m intending to be their most vocal member.

To donate towards our scholarship awards or needs based interns, or to underwrite sending Vegetarian Journals to applicants, go to www.vrg.org/donate; call (410) 366-8343, or mail checks to VRG, P.O. Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203. Please indicate your wishes.

For information about applying for the 2014 scholarship, see https://www.vrg.org/student/scholar.htm